Inza Ouattara, a Maine resident for 17 years, is the state refugee coordinator for Catholic Charities. Jean-Pierre Koumounété moved to Maine 23 years ago and has worked as a house manager for Granite Bay Care for 17 years.

They bring deep community connections and commitment to the new partnership they’ve launched to own and manage affordable residential rental properties.

Last year, they began searching for their first property to develop. As they focused especially on the housing needs of immigrant and refugee families, Genesis helped them model financing options for prospective listings to ensure cash flow and financial feasibility.

Et voila! With assistance from Genesis, they found and purchased a three-unit residential property. Near a corner of Lewiston’s Kennedy Park, its one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and four-bedroom units will increase the availability of affordable housing in the community.